The law of blasphemy is presently in a state of transition in this country. After a long period of desuetude, the offence was suddenly revived in 1979 by the case of Whitehouse v Lemon. Six years later, in 1985, the Law Commission recommended its total abolition without any replacement. No legislation to effect that abolition has appeared, and given the controversy which that appearance would undoubtedly cause, it is unlikely that anything will happen in the immediate future. Nevertheless the situation contains an imbalance which suggests that it will not continue indefinitely. The interval before the inevitable next step provides an opportunity to ponder what that next step ought to be.

Although I have no legal expertise, I hope I may be able to pose some useful questions. In 1989, I and others founded a group called ‘Christianity and the Future of Europe’ in order to encourage Christians in Britain to reflect on the European Community. What difference will it make to the life of the British churches? What might the special historical experience of the British churches contribute to ‘the construction of Europe’?

On a Friday afternoon towards the end of April, by car, train and aircraft, we converged on the northern city of Ripon, which I would imagine was not too well known to many of us. Despite road works and an accident, which meant that the writer did only 28 miles in his first hour on the A1 and contrary to received wisdom, a dull and rainy south gave way to a bright and (on Saturday) sunny north. All was redeemed on arriving at the college and seeing buildings of varying decades nestling among trees which were obviously there before the first bricks were thought of some 150 years ago. To complete the pastoral scene were Jacob sheep and many jet black lambs – the clerical members of the Society no doubt noted this illustration for future sermons.